What to See in Louisville - Top Sights and Attractions

Legendary horse-racing track. Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was prominent in Kentucky for many years. The first Kentucky Derby, a Thoroughbred sweepstakes and part of today's horse racing Triple Crown, and the first Kentucky Oaks were held in the same year. Churchill Downs has also hosted the renowned Breeders' Cup on nine occasions, most recently on November 2 and 3, 2018.

The racetrack is owned and operated by Churchill Downs Incorporated. With the infield open for the Kentucky Derby, the capacity of Churchill Downs is roughly 170,000.

In 2009 the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America, which ranked Churchill Downs number 5 on its list.

In 2014, prior to the start of their spring meet, Churchill Downs announced an increase in parimutuel takeout rates. As a result of the takeout increase, Churchill Downs ranked number 22 in that year's Horseplayers Association of North America Track Ratings.^[2]

The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution is an American congressionally chartered organization, founded in 1889 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. A non-profit corporation, it has described its purpose as maintaining and extending "the institutions of American freedom, an appreciation for true patriotism, a respect for our national symbols, the value of American citizenship, the unifying force of 'e pluribus unum' that has created, from the people of many nations, one nation and one people."

The members of the society are male descendants of people who served in the American Revolutionary War or who contributed to establishing the independence of the United States. It is dedicated to perpetuating American ideals and traditions, and to protecting the Constitution of the United States; the official recognition of Constitution Day, Flag Day, and Bill of Rights Day were established through its efforts. It has members in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

The organization is distinct from the Sons of the Revolution, a separate descendants heritage organization founded on February 22, 1876 by businessman John Austin Stevens and members of The Society of the Cincinnati. SAR Founder William Osborn McDowell disagreed with the Sons of the Revolution requirement at that time that all state societies were to be subordinate to the New York society.^[4]

Event venue in Louisville, Kentucky. Fourth Street Live! is a 350,000-square-foot entertainment and retail complex located on 4th Street, between Liberty and Muhammad Ali Boulevard, in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It is owned and was developed by the Cordish Company; it was designed by Louisville architects, Bravura Corporation. Fourth Street Live! first opened to the public on June 1, 2004, and all stores were completed for the grand opening on October 30, 2004. City planners hoped that the district would attract further commercial business development while providing an attractive entertainment venue for the city's hotel and tourist business as well as the local population.

Restaurants and entertainment venues in the complex include Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, T.G.I. Friday's, Birracibo, The Sports & Social Club (bowling alley and restaurant), Tavern on 4th street, The Fudgery and the new bourbon raw bar.

Fourth Street Live! also has a variety of bars and nightclubs including Tavern on Fourth, The Sports & Social Club, Howl at the Moon, and PBR Louisville.

A mall-style food court is also located in the complex with restaurants like Subway,

Traffic on 4th Street through the complex is usually closed for large public gatherings such as music concerts and other events.^[6]

The Filson Historical Society, founded in 1884, is a privately supported historical society located at 1310 South 3rd Street in Louisville, Kentucky. The Filson is an organization dedicated to providing continuing adult education in the form of quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal, Ohio Valley History, a quarterly magazine, The Filson, weekly lectures, historical tours, and exhibits.

The Filson’s mission is to collect, preserve, and tell the stories of Kentucky and Ohio Valley history and culture. In 2017, the Filson began a new initiative to document, preserve, and study the history of Jewish life and experience in Louisville and the Ohio Valley region, establishing the Jewish Community Archive. The Filson hosts programs and exhibitions that engage critically and honestly with the past with topics such as: Commemorating Juneteenth, David Blight’s talk on Frederick Douglas, Christina Snyder’s discussion of Great Crossings: Indians, Settlers, and Slaves in the Age of Jackson, Alaina Roberts I’ve Been Here All the While: Black Freedom on Native Land, and Dan Gediman’s presentation on reckoning with slavery in Kentucky. In the summer of 2020, the Filson published a list of historical resources on racial inequality in Louisville and issued a community response to racism.^[7]

Sports arena in Louisville, Kentucky. The KFC Yum! Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It is named after the KFC restaurant chain and Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC. Adjacent to the Ohio River waterfront, it is located on Main Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets and opened on October 10, 2010. The arena is part of a $450 million project that includes a 975-car parking structure and floodwall.

The Louisville Cardinals men's and women's basketball teams from the University of Louisville are the primary tenants of the arena complex. The U of L women's volleyball team began using the arena as a part-time home in 2011, and made the arena its main home in 2012. With 22,090 seats for basketball, it is the largest arena in the United States by seating capacity designed primarily for basketball, and the second-largest used for college basketball, behind the Carrier Dome at Syracuse University, a venue built to house football and lacrosse in addition to basketball. The arena's current attendance record for a sporting event is 22,815, set March 9, 2013, against Notre Dame (men's basketball). The current attendance record for any event is 23,085, set March 9, 2019, when Metallica played their WorldWired Tour.

From April to May 2021, it was home to the Louisville Xtreme of the Indoor Football League, but they were voted out of the league after five games.^[9]

Museum in Louisville, Kentucky. The Kentucky Derby Museum is an American Thoroughbred horse racing museum located on the grounds of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Dedicated to preserving the history of the Kentucky Derby, it first opened its doors to the public in the spring of 1985. Much of its early funding came from a donation from the estate of James Graham Brown.

The museum consists of two floors of exhibit space, including a 360-degree theater that shows the HD video The Greatest Race. Through the film and exhibits, visitors can learn what goes into the breeding and training of a young foal and the path it takes to the Kentucky Derby's winner circle. Every Kentucky Derby win is honored in the Warner L. Jones Time Machine, where visitors can watch any Kentucky Derby from 1918 to the present day. Exhibits highlight the stories of owners, trainers and jockeys as well as the importance of African American jockeys and trainers to the race and the Thoroughbred industry. Guided tours of Churchill Downs' barn and infield areas, jockeys' quarters, "millionaires row" and press box are also offered.^[12]

Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville Slugger Field is a baseball stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. The baseball-specific stadium opened in 2000 with a seating capacity of 13,131. It is currently home to the professional baseball team, the Louisville Bats, Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. From 2015 to 2019, it was also home to Louisville City FC, a professional soccer team in the USL Championship.

The unique design of Louisville Slugger Field includes a former train shed on the site which was incorporated into the stadium. The Ohio River and state of Indiana are visible from the park, as well as views of downtown Louisville. Naming rights for the stadium were purchased by Hillerich & Bradsby, makers of the famous Louisville Slugger baseball bat, and the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory is located several blocks further down Main Street. The stadium is accessible from I-64, I-65, and I-71.^[16]

Education center in Louisville, Kentucky. The Little Loomhouse is a place on the National Register of Historic Places in the Kenwood Hill neighborhood on the south side of Louisville, Kentucky. It consists of three cabins constructed between 1870 and 1896: Esta Cabin, Tophouse, and Wisteria Cabin. It not only displays weavings, but has active education and resident artist programs. The organization participates in several local festivals, giving demonstrations of spinning, dyeing, and weaving. It is the biggest repository of original and classic textile patterns in the United States.

Among the history of the cabins have been the visits of past First Ladies of the United States, and the creation of the song Happy Birthday to You. However, it is in constant state of defending against deterioration.^[20]

Museum in Louisville, Kentucky. The Speed Art Museum, originally known as the J.B. Speed Memorial Museum, now colloquially referred to as the Speed by locals, is the oldest, largest, and foremost museum of art in Kentucky. It is located in Louisville, Kentucky on Third Street next to the University of Louisville Belknap campus and receives around 180,000 visits annually.

The museum offers visitors a variety of "art experiences" outside its collection and international exhibitions, including the Speed Concert Series, the Art Sparks Interactive Family Gallery, and the popular late-night event, After Hours at the Speed.

The Speed houses ancient, classical, and modern art from around the world. The focus of the collection is Western art, from antiquity to the present day. Holdings of paintings from the Netherlands, French and Italian works, and contemporary art are particularly strong, with sculpture prominent throughout.^[22]

The Frazier History Museum, previously known as the Frazier Historical Arms Museum and the Frazier International History Museum, is a history museum located on Museum Row in the West Main District of downtown Louisville, Kentucky. An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the Frazier documents and reinterprets stories from history using artifacts, gallery talks, and live interpretations that are written and performed in costume by a staff of teaching artists.

Founded in 2004 as a museum of historical arms and armor, the Frazier has since expanded its focus to cover regional, national, and international history. The museum is home to one of the largest collections of toy soldiers and historic miniatures on permanent public display in the world, The Stewart Collection. Subjects of other permanent exhibitions include historic arms, bourbon whiskey, and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

In 2018, the Frazier became the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.^[24]

Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. Cardinal Stadium, formerly known as Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, is a football stadium located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, on the southern end of the campus of the University of Louisville. Debuting in 1998, it serves as the home of the Louisville Cardinals football program. The official seating capacity in the quasi-horseshoe shaped facility was 42,000 through the 2008 season. An expansion project that started after the 2008 season was completed in time for the 2010 season has brought the official capacity to 55,000. An additional expansion project aiming to close the open end of the horseshoe to add 6,000 additional seats was announced on August 28, 2015, and was completed in 2019.^[26]

Showcase for the famed boxing icon. The Muhammad Ali Center is a non-profit museum and cultural center dedicated to boxer Muhammad Ali in Louisville, Kentucky. Ali, a native of Louisville, and his wife Lonnie Ali founded the museum in 2005.

The six-story, 96,750 sq ft (8,988 m2) museum is located in the city's West Main District. It opened on November 19, 2005 at a cost of $80 million. It also includes a 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2) two-level amphitheater and a plaza.

On April 4, 2013, a new pedestrian bridge opened, helping residents and visitors connect from the Muhammad Ali Center's plaza to the Belvedere, the Waterfront, and other downtown attractions. The 170-foot-long walkway is nine feet wide, with exterior metal panels that complement the Ali Center plaza's design.^[28]

Science museum with interactive exhibits. The Kentucky Science Center, previously known as the Louisville Museum of Natural History & Science and then Louisville Science Center, is Kentucky's largest hands-on science museum. Located in Louisville, Kentucky's "Museum Row" in the West Main District of downtown, the museum operates as a non-profit organization. It was founded in 1871 as a natural history collection, and now more than half a million people visit the museum annually. More students in Kentucky take field trips to the Kentucky Science Center than any other destination.

There are about 550,000 visitors annually. A special hands-on area for children, featuring six educational activity sections, was renovated and renamed KidZone in 1998.

The building itself is located at 727 West Main Street, and takes up 150,000 sq ft (14,000 m2). The distinctive cast-iron facade limestone building was originally built in 1878 as a dry goods warehouse. The city purchased the property in 1975 and the museum moved to the premises in 1977, subsequently winning several design awards for its preservation of the building. A four-story digital theater was added in 1988 and renovated in early 2014.

The pendulum has been a fixture of the building for decades.

On January 11 2007, it was announced that the Kentucky Science Center would acquire the Alexander Building, which was built in 1880, adjacent to the current building.

In 2009, the center opened a Science Education Wing on the building's first floor. The wing includes four science-workshop labs equipped for "hands-on participation". The five-story Alexander Building is nearly 37,000 square feet (3,400 m2).^[29]

Park in Louisville, Kentucky. Cherokee Park is a 409-acre municipal park located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States and is part of the Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy. It was designed in 1891 by Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture along with 18 of Louisville's 123 parks. Beargrass Creek runs through much of the park, and is crossed by numerous pedestrian and automobile bridges.

According to The Trust for Public Land, Cherokee Park has 500,000 visitors annually, making it tied for the 69th most popular municipal park in the United States.

The park features a 2.4 mile Scenic Loop through the park's pastoral setting featuring rolling hills, open meadows and woodlands with separate lanes for vehicle traffic (one-way) and recreational users. The park was closed to vehicular traffic in April of 2020 to aid in social distancing and as of May 2021 remains closed to automobiles indefinitely.^[30]

Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere is a public area on the Ohio River in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky. Although proposed as early as 1930, the project did not get off the ground until $13.5 million in funding was secured in 1969 to revitalize the downtown area. On April 27, 1973, the Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere was dedicated. Running between Third and Sixth streets, it consisted of a large parking garage and the interstate, and a grassy 7-acre park built atop. The grassy park section on the western end was the Belvedere, and the Riverfront Plaza to the east included other attractions: fountains, shelters and an ice-skating rink, as well as buildings such as the Galt House, One Riverfront Plaza and the American Life Building.

A prominent feature is a bronze sculpture by Felix de Weldon of George Rogers Clark, located immediately east of the park section. The Galt House, as well as The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, are incorporated into the plaza with walkway access. It includes a glass elevator with access to three levels of the structure.

After several lawsuits alleging that corrosive materials had damaged cars in the parking garage, a $3.8 million renovation began in 1996. The above-ground portions were renovated in 1998 to provide a wider walkway to Fifth Street, as well as less visible concrete and a concert stage. The Belvedere is adjacent to Louisville Waterfront Park, which opened in the late 1990s, with stairs and an elevator leading down to the wharf between the two.

In 2003, a statue by sculptor Ed Hamilton was erected on the Belvedere of York, who was William Clark's manservant, with plaques commemorating the Lewis and Clark Expedition and York's participation in it.

The plaza is the east terminus of the Louisville Riverwalk.^[31]

Music venue in Louisville, Kentucky. The Palace Theatre is a music venue in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, located in the city's theater district, on the east side of Fourth Street, between Broadway and Chestnut Street. It has a seating capacity of 2,800 people and is owned by Live Nation. The historic landmark opened on September 1, 1928, and was designed by architect John Eberson. It was originally known as the Loew's and United Artists State theatre.

The Palace exhibits a Spanish Baroque motif with arcades, balconies and turrets. Cobalt blue, bursts of red and gold indirectly light all of the niches, coves and entrances. Above is a curved, vaulted ceiling with 139 sculptures of the faces of historical figures. The theater room inside The Palace is heavily ornamented and displays an imitation nighttime sky on the ceiling.

The theater is two stories with a floor and a balcony. Both floors contain bars that run the width of the building behind the theater, separated by a grand lobby of intricate art and architecture.

Although the exterior had fallen behind the interior, the Palace was re-dedicated in 1994 and is now a premiere venue.

Its uncommon appearance has made it a popular venue for musicians to record live performances. On June 2, 1983, British group A Flock Of Seagulls performed at the Palace and the show was recorded for broadcast by NBC's The Source. The theatre features an array of popular movies, old and new, as well as concerts by popular artists.

Kentucky musicians that have performed at the Palace include: Billy Ray Cyrus in 1994, the Backstreet Boys in 1998, My Morning Jacket in 2005, Chris Stapleton in 2015, and Sturgill Simpson in 2016. Southern Indiana's John Mellencamp played there in 2011. Nashville's Kings of Leon played in 2009, and Paramore in 2015. Nashville bluegrass group Old Crow Medicine Show played there in 2008. Robert Plant performed with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss for 2 nights in 2008. Virginia's Dave Matthews played there in 1999. Frank Sinatra performed there in 1941, Ray Charles in 1959, and James Taylor in 1982.^[34]